Galvanic battery



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD N. COX, 0E GLEN RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO NEW COMPANY, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION JERSEY PATENT 0F NEW JERSEY.

GALVAN IC BATTERY.

' Application tiled April 12, 1919.

To all whom; it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HAROLD N. Cox, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of (ilen Ridge, Essex county, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Galvanic Batteries, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates generally to improvements in galvanic batteries, and more par ticularly to that class of primary batteries in which a negative electrode consisting of an element or elements of oxid of copper or other depolarizing agent, and a positive electrode consisting of an element or elements of zinc are disposed in a caustic alkaline electrolyte. i

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved form of negative electrode, preferably an oxid of copper electrode, for a primary battery cell, whereby, without any increase in the active materials or any change in the relative location of the elements, a more uniform rate of dischar e and a greater ampere hour capacity will is obtained when the cell is discharged to a given minimum limiting voltage.

More specifically described, my invention consists in providingr a suitable conducting surface or layer within and preferably'in the middle of the negative plate or element instead of on the outside thereof as has heretofore been customary, in order that the reduction of the copper oxid, or other depolarizing material of which the element is formed, will progress from within the element or plate outwardly, whereby the resistance of theelement to the passage of the ions which travel in the cell between the positive and negative elements will be greatest at the beginning of the discharge of the cell and will constantly decrease, instead of being greatest at the end of the discharge of the cell when the exhaustion ofthe other active materials in the cell is contributing to the loss in voltage.

A further object of my invention resides in a negative plate ,or element provided with an inner layer or surface' of conducting Ina.- terial such as described above and having a binder,ipreferably comprisin an electrolyte, for the copper oxid or ot er depolarizing material, whereby the plate or element may be made sufficiently hard and coherent for practical use without subjecting thc same to the usual baking operation.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921..

Serial No. 289,645.

My invention also resides in the method of producing my improved negative electrode.

Other objects and features of my inveni tion will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed.

For a clearer understanding of my invention, attention is directed to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure l is a central vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of a primary battery cell provided with my improved negative electrode, taken at right angles to the positive and negative plates;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View in perspective, partly broken away, of one form of negative plate in accordance with 'my invention; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of an* other form of negative plate in accordancewith my invention.

Referring to the drawing and especially to Fig. 1, reference character l represents an ordinary battery jar or container provided with the usual. cover 2, both the jar and the cover being referably formed of glass or porcelain. eference character 3 represents a hanger or frame supporting thc negative oxid of copper plate l0 and preferably formed of a strip of iron or steel plated with copper. The hanger 3 is preferably in the form of an inverted U and is supported from the cover 2 in any suitable manner, as

by a bolt or threaded rod 4 connected thereto and passing throu h the cover, and a nut 5 threaded on the ro above the cover. The positive zinc plates ll, 1l arespaced and insulated from the negative plate l0 and supported from the hanger 3 by means of a splitinsulating block 6, preferably formed of porcelain, the parts being mechanically secured together by means of a bolt 7 and a nut 8 threaded on the end of the bolt. The A bolt 7 extends through apertured lugs 9 provided on the positive plates 11, 1l and serves to electrically connect these lates. The 'bolt 7 constitutes one terminal o the battery cell and has suitably connected thereto a conductor 9 extending through' an openlng provided therefor in the cover 2 of the cell container; and the bolt or rod 4 constitutes the other terminal of the cell.

The copper oxid or negative plate 10 1s provided with a continuous conducting layer 01.' Sheet 12 preferably disposed in the middle as in the form shown in continuous layer 12 formed of a powdered ofi-'the plate and extending to the outer edge thereof in order to make contact with the `conducting Supporting frame or hanger 3.

This improved negative plate may be made in various forms, two of which are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

The negativaI plate 10 shown in Fig. 2-

comprises a compressed hard coherent mass of oxid ofcopper with a thin metallic con-` ducting sheet 12', preferably of copper, iron, or iron plated with copper, disposed in the middle thereof and preferably perforated as shown at 13. so that the oxid of copper 'will enter the perfor-ations and thereby prevent separation of the parts of the plate. This form of plate may be made by disposing the sheet 12 in the middle of a mass of linely divided oxid of copper and then compressing the same under enormous pressure to the desiredshape in a suitable mold removing the plate so formed from the mold and then subjecting the same to the usual baking operation in order to a glomerate and harden the 'oxid of copper. referably, however, an electrolyte such, for example, as sodium'hydroxid or an ammonium salt, but preferably ammonium chlorid or a mixture of the same either with zinc, metallic iron, iron reduced by hydrogen, or any other metallic conducting material which is more electro-positive than copper, such as zinc or iron. This form of plate may ybe made by vintroducing finely divided copper oxid into the mold in which the plate is to be pressed until such mold is half filled, then sifting the powdered metallic material onto the exposed surface of the copper oXid until a continuous surface extending to the edge of the mold is obtained, completing the filling of the mold with the copper oxid, and then compressing vthe material in the mold under enormous pressure. The molded element is then removed and subjected to the usual baking operation in order to harden and agglomerate the copper oxid. lThis method, however, is not very satisfactory, as the zinc or the copper which is reduced thereby is very liable to be oxidized during the baking operation. Accordin ly, I preferably incorporate a suitable inder, comprising an Fig. 2, I provide a electrolyte, such as sodium hydroxid or an ammonium salt, but preferably ammonium chlorid, or a mixture of the same and finely divided metallic material which is more electro-positive than copper, such as zinc, iron or iron reduced by hydrogen, with the oxid of copper in forming the molded element, and then dry such element, as described in my copending application Serial No. 289, (544, filed April 12, 1919, and entitled Production of electrodes for galvanic batteries. When this method is followed the baking operation is omitted as I4 find the elements produced to be sutliciently hard and coherent for practical use.

It will be apparent that in a battery cell provided with my improved negative electrode or plate, as shown in Fig. 1, the reduction of the oxid of copper 1n the plate 10 as the cell discharges will proceed from the middle of the plate 10. namely, from the layer or sheet 12 outwardly of the late; and

ltherefore the resistance of the plate l0 to the passage of the ions which travel betweenthe positive plates 11, 11 and the negative plate will be greatest when the cell begins to discharge and will constantly decrease as the cell continues to discharge until the negative plate 1() is completely exhausted or reduced. Moreover, the distance the ions travel in electrolyte in passing between the positive plates 11, 11 and the acting surface or layer of the negative electrode will constantly decrease as the cell discharges. Consequently, the increased resistance in the cell due to the exhaustion of the positive plates 11, 11 and the accumulation in the electrolyte between the negative plate and the positive plates of the soluble secondary products of the reaction which takes place when the cell discharges, will be compensated for, at least partially, with the result that the cell will have a more uniform discharge rate and a greater ampere hour capacity in the discharge thereof to a given minimum limiting voltage.

The presence of the conducting surface or layer in the middle of my improved electrode, regardless of which of the various forms thereof is employed, serves to start the discharge when such electrode is set up in a cell. When ,the form of negative element shown in Fig. 3 is employed, the zinc, iron, or other material more electro-positive than cop r of which the layer 12 is formed will, as soon as the cell is assembled, at once be oxidized by reason of the local action between such material and the oxid of copper when disposed in the electrolyte and be replaced by copper which will serve to start the discharge of the cell, and in case this form of element contains a binder for the oxid of copper comprising an electrolyte, this replacement will commence just as soon as the element is produced.

.llO

and iron oxid o'r oxids,

`forms of my .ters Patent is as .disposed therein substantially midway described.

Iron reduced by h drogen vgenerally con- .sists of a mixture of dnely divided pure iron and accordingly, the term iron-containing material as used in hertain vof the claims is intended to cover h iron and the oxids thereof.

While I have described the preferred improved electrode and the preferred methods of making the same, it is to be understood that man changes and modifications may be made t erein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the ap nded claims.

Having now descri `my invention, what I claim as new and desire to lprotect by Letfollows:

1. A negative electrode for a galvanic battery comprising an element of depolarizing material aving a layer of conductin mate rial more electro-positive than said epolarifzing'material disposed therein intermediate the surfaces thereof which are ada ted to oppose the positive electrodes of t e bat# tery, substantially as described.

2.' A negative electrode for a .galvanic battery, consisting of de larizing material mo ded into a' plate and avin a perforated .sheet of conductin material isposed there- 1n 'intermediate tide outer surfaces of the plate, substantially as described.

3. A negative electrode for a galvanic battery, com rising a lay'er of conducting material an a strong coherent compressed mass-of depolarizing material on each side of such layer, substantiall as described. 4. A negative electrode or a galvanic battery, comprising a layern of conductin terial and a strong coherenteompressef mass consisting of a mixture ofa-.finely divided depolarizing material and an electrol te as a inder therefor disposed on each side of such layer, said conducting material being more electro-positive than said de larizing material, substantially as described.0

5. An oxid of copper plate for a galvanic battery having a layer of metallic material which is more electro-positive than cop er e.. tween its outer surfaces, substantially as described. l

6.' An oxid of copper battery having a layer o zinc isposed between its plate for a galvanic powdered metallic therein substantially midway outer surfaces, substantially as 7. A negative electrode for a galvanic battery, consisting of a layer of conducting.; .w termi more electro-positive than coppia` .i c strong coherent compressed mass compas :ing a mixture of oiiid of copper and a hindi-ir' therefor comprising an electrolyte dis oecd, on each side of suoli layer, substantie. ly as described.

A nega" battery '1... trode for use in a pricomprising an clement partlyv filling a die maf.

formed of depolarizing material and having a conducting layer formed of material more electro-positive than said depolarizin madisposed adjacent to and spaced from each other in a suitable electrolyte, the negative electrode comprising a mixture of depolarizingmnterial and an electrolyte, and being; provided with a layer of conducting material more electro-positive than said depolarizng material, said layer being so disposed that as the cell is discharged the distance the ions assing between the positive and negative e ectrodes travel in electrolyte constantly decreases, substantially as described.

10. The method of forming an electrode for a galvanic battery, which consists iii disposing finely divided depolarizing material on each side of a layer of conducting matcrial and then subjecting the same to a high molding pressure in a suitable die, substantially as described.

11. The method of forming an electrode for a galvanic battery, which consists in with finely divided def `polarizing material, then applying a con tinuous surface layer of powdered metallic conductive material Which is more electropositive than copper to the exposed surface of the depolarizing material, completing thc filling of the die Vith the depolarizing material, and then compressing or molding thc material in the` die, y substantially as described. Y

12. The method of forming an electrode for a galvanic battery, which consists in disposing finely divided rial on each side of said then compressing or molding the material in the die, substantially as described.

13. The method of forming an electrodo for a galvanic battery, which consists4 in mixing a finely divided depoiarizing inateu rial and an electrolyte, disposing a mass of the mixture so produced on each side ot a layer of conducting materiai more electropositiva than said depolarizing material in a die, and then compressing or molding thc same in. thc die, substantially as described.

i4. The method of forming an electrodo fior a gaivanio battery, which consists in in liorporatinc oirid of copper, a solution oit an eicctrolytmand a layer of conductingy l more clectropositive than copper il@ so that the .layer oi? .i is disposed Within depolarizing matesheet in a die, and' n i element j stantieli y as described. A

negative -electrode for e galvemc and then-drying element, subbattery, comprising ve layer of conducting material and ,a stron coherent compressed mess consisting of nely dividedfcxidof copperpcombined with .a materiel which is more electro-positive` tnen copper, and an electrol te as e binder therefor disposed on each sidye of such layer, substantially es de-- scribed. f

16.l Alnegetive electrode for a. galvenic l battery, comprising e; layer lof conducting `meterlal and a stron coherent compressed mass consisting of nely divided oxid of copper combined with zinc, and an ,electrojlyt'e as e binder therefor disposed on each zov tive than copper, and en electrolyte, dispos` ing e..A mess of the mixture so lproduced on .Leconte each side of e layer of conducting materiel in e die, and then compressing or molding the seme in the die, substantially as described. -v

18. The method of forming an electrode 'for e galvenic battery, which consists in incorporating oxid of copper, e materiel vwhich is more electro-positive than copper,

e solution of en electrolyte, and e layer of conducting' material in c molded element so that the layer orconducting materiel is disposed within the element, end then drying such element, substantially as described.

19. An oxid of copper plate for e gelvenic `battery having e' leyerof metellic materiel Which-"is more electro-positive then copper disposed therein intermediate its outer sur` feces', substantially es described. 20. An -oxid of copper Flete for e gelvanic battery having e layer o powdered metallic zine disposed therein intermediate its outer surfaces, substantially as described.

This specification signedthisth'dey of' April, 1919.

' y HARoLD N. COX. 

